Blasts and Low-Altitude Aircraft Reported in Venezuela's Capital City Caracas

Witness testimonies surfaced of several explosions and the roar of low-altitude jets in the Venezuelan capital in the small hours of the weekend. The event has prompted claims from the Venezuelan leadership and demands for diplomatic action.

Venezuela Accuses US of Aggression

The authoritarian government has accused the US of an act of "imperial aggression," stating that former President Donald Trump supposedly ordered strikes against the South American country. In an official announcement, the government confirmed that attacks had targeted the capital and three other provinces: Miranda state, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.

"The primary goal of this aggression is to seize control of our nation's strategic resources, in particular its petroleum and resources," Venezuela declared.

The government called on the global community to censure the operations, which it labeled a "blatant breach of global law" that placed countless of lives at risk in danger.

Accounts of Blasts and Defense Sites Hit

Residents spoke of experiencing at least several detonations around 2:00 AM local time. Residents in different neighborhoods reportedly rushed into the open.

"The whole ground shook. This is terrifying. We heard blasts and aircraft in the area," commented one resident.

Plumes of smoke was seen billowing from major military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airbase military airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base military base, where president Nicolás Maduro is thought to reside.

Global Condemnation

The president of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on a social platform that "Right now they are attacking Venezuela... attacking it with missiles." He demanded an swift emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

The Colombian government, which just became a member of the Security Council, announced it would initiate operational measures at its border with its neighbor.

Preceding Events

The alleged strikes come after a extended military buildup by the Trump administration against the Maduro regime. Since August, authorities reported a substantial US military buildup off the country's Caribbean coast and a number of air strikes on ships accused of narco-trafficking.

The administration has announced "a state of external threat" and ordered all national defense plans to be activated. It has also urged its citizens to mobilize and "denounce this foreign aggression."

US authorities and the US Department of Defense have not immediately commented on inquiries for a statement regarding the reports.